THE goalposts have once again shifted on the Hawks season tip-off, with Brian Goorjian's team now facing Brisbane in their first game on Saturday night.
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The Hawks left their temporary adopted home of Albury on Sunday night to their new base in Cairns where a revised schedule will see them take on the Taipans on Monday.
They'll now be in action two nights earlier, with the NBL confirming the Hawks will fill the 'TBC' slot in the new draw released on Saturday following the easing of lockdown measures in Brisbane.
Round one will see games played exclusively in Queensland and South Australia, with the Hawks tipped to face the Taipans and Bullets in another sunshine state double in round two.
The Wildcats and Breakers won't feature in round one, with the Cats at long odds feature in round two, though it will depend on when the WA government relaxes hard border closures with the eastern states.
It's the latest curveball for the Hawks, who've been on the road since making a Boxing Day move to Albury. They had been preparing for a pair of clashes with the Taipans but Goorjian says success this season will depend on his young side's ability to roll with the punches through the tough early rounds.
"I compare it to the [last] NBA season that just took place," Goorjian said.
"Some of the teams handled that situation really well, the Lakers Miami, Boston. Some others really struggled with it. It's going to have a big say in our season on how we handle this.
"It's something I press the button on all the time telling these guys, 'hey man it's coming, no matter where we are, whether you're uncomfortable, where your bags are, we're starting our season'.
"It's around the corner and we haven't done anything. We're nobody and we've got something to prove. You know things are going to come at you and we've tried to take a positive out of every situation that's been thrown at us.
"The one thing that's been missing is games, so everyone's really excited that the season is going to start."